A Baylor University study links religion to racism

Christianity can increase a person’s racial prejudice, according to a recent study, the first to indicate a link between the two.

Baylor University researchers found people tend to agree more with racist arguments after being exposed to religious concepts.

The study, published in the April issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, said, “we cannot conclude that priming Christian concepts causes racism per se…. However, we did find (it) causes a negative shift in existing racial attitudes.”

Participants were shown subliminal messages on a computer screen. Some saw Christian terms like Bible, faith, Christ, sermon and church and others, neutral ones likes shirt, butter, sandwich and hammer. The Christian words led to a “slight but significant increase in racial prejudice.”

“The role of religion is paradoxical,” the Baylor report begins. “It makes prejudice and it unmakes prejudice.”

Researchers offer some possible explanations for why these Christian terms have such negative effects. They can cue fundamentalism or political conservatism, which can isolate “out-groups,” or echo the notion of the Protestant work ethic, which has been connected with anti-Black attitudes, the study said.

“What’s interesting about this study is that it shows some component of religion does lead to some negative evaluations of people based on race,” said Baylor psychology and neuroscience professor Wade Rowatt, in an article by the Associated Baptist Press. “We just don’t know why.”